For a lot of musicians the dream is to get a deal with a big record label; make an album; and then make lots of money. The reality is that most musicians will never get that big record deal. Even if they do, most traditional models follow the sort of “hit maker” model that removes the artist from the process and doesn’t allow them to connect with their audiences – much less to reap many of the rewards.
With the shift from physical to digital media a new breed on artist has emerged in the music scene. This new wave of creators are looking for alternative distribution methods to reach consumers and grow their fan bases organically. They are artists like PAZ.
It was just a few years ago when PAZ entered a MasterCard competition for college musicians. Out of 25,000 aspiring hopefuls, he was chosen to tour with country music legends Tim McGraw and Big & Rich. His unique sound made a big impression on Tim McGraw, who ultimately took PAZ under his wing.
When PAZ began thinking about distribution for his debut mixtape, “Young Broke and Fameless,” he wasn’t looking to get his music on iTunes or Amazon, but wanted an approach that would allow him to establish his name and share his music with the largest possible number of people. So, PAZ decided to join a growing list of creators who are leveraging BitTorrent distribution to tap into a powerful online community and reach millions of consumers for free.
You could say that for PAZ his career has been a bit like a social experiment where he is using a variety of platforms to connect with consumers and incorporate them into every step of the process – including choosing the cover art for “Young Broke and Fameless.” For PAZ, it is about being a trailblazer for a new unified model, and so far his willingness to take risks has paid off. In only a few short months he has built a series of successes on non-traditional platforms and developed a substantial audience.
In today’s digital age, the traditional model that artists once bowed to does not serve them in the same ways. Artists like PAZ are creating a new media model that is not based on selling units of CDs or even downloads. What he is creating is much more important – it is consumer engagement. In doing so, he is building a fan base that will invariably attend shows and purchase merchandise down the road.
The Internet has created a model of empowerment that allows creators to retain full control of their creative works, and now BitTorrent is helping them build a business model that will fit with the new digital realities. We are always interested in working with content creators who want to develop models that play to the strengths of the Internet, and allows them to tune into the distribution potential of BitTorrent to reach millions of people within communities that might otherwise be inaccessible.
For a limited time starting today, PAZ’s mixtape will be available from his website; via our website; with all fresh downloads of the µTorrent client; and at ClearBits. The torrent file is here.
– Simon –
